LEXINGTON, N.C. — Lexington city officials released more details surrounding the death Lexington Fire Captain Ronnie Metcalf on Friday.
The fire department said it is working to evaluate what can be done to prevent something like this from happening again. City officials said apart from the internal evaluation, OSHA will also conduct an evaluation.
The fire department said Metcalf and three other firefighters entered the home to fight the fire. At the same time, a separate team of firefighters called a Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) stood outside, ready to go in if anything went wrong.
Metcalf and another firefighter worked as a pair to fight the fire while protecting the two other firefighters who were searching for possible victims, according to the release from city officials.
Fire officials said there was near-zero visibility. Metcalf told his partner he was moving to get more hose. Moments later, an evacuation was ordered due to worsening conditions.
According to the release, when firefighters realized Metcalf didn't come out with the others, the RIT team went into the house to find him. They found Metcalf and got him to EMS care.
"While our evaluation has just begun, we do know that these firefighters faced a difficult, intensely burning fire in a house where conditions were rapidly deteriorating. In these situations, firefighters must crawl through an unfamiliar structure in near-total darkness, heavy smoke, and several hundred degrees of heat," city officials said.
Officials are still investigating how the fire started.
MORE WAYS TO GET WFMY NEWS 2
Subscribe to our daily newsletter Let’s Get 2 It!
Download the WFMY News 2 APP from your Apple or Google Play store.
ADD THE WFMY+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for WFMY.
Amazon Fire TV: Search for WFMY to find the free app to add to your account. You can also add the app directly to your Fire TV through your Amazon account.